Compression bandages are known for use in the treatment of oedema and other venous and lymphatic disorders, e.g., of the lower limbs. An area where compression bandages are considered particularly useful is in the management and treatment of chronic wounds, such as venous leg ulcers.
The mainstay in nearly all venous leg ulcer treatments is the application of a 3 to 4 layer compression bandage, whereby the concept of such multi-layer bandaging is the use of a combination of different types of bandage layers in order to apply pressure in layers (giving an accumulation of pressure) and to provide sustained compression together with rigidity. A common, widely used bandage is a four-layer system including an inner layer of absorbent orthopedic wool, a second layer crepe bandage, a third layer of light compression bandage and a fourth layer of self-adherent (cohesive) flexible bandage. Such a bandaging system has been described in “The Function of Multiple Layer Compression Bandaging in the Management of Venous Ulcers,” DDI Wright et al, SWM, 10, 109.10, 1988, and is, e.g., commercially available under the trade designation “PROFORE”. Although such 3 to 4 layer bandaging systems provide sufficient pressure for therapeutic treatment and/or management of chronic wounds such as venous leg ulcers, the process of applying such bandages, however, is difficult (for example to obtain the desired pressure and/or a relatively uniform pressure) as well as time consuming. Also such bandages are prone to slipping and/or forming wrinkles after being applied which may result in insufficient and/or uneven compression being applied and/or cause discomfort to the patient.
Although other compression bandage systems (such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,759,566 and US 2002/0099318) have been proposed in attempts to provide bandaging systems that are easier to apply, in particular by inexperienced staff, such systems often do not provide the desired therapeutic compressive pressure or are not capable of maintaining the desired therapeutic compressive pressure for extended periods of time. Furthermore, such systems typically still have a tendency (and in some cases an increased tendency) to slip and/or wrinkle after application.